Fourth Fun

It's been 7 weeks since I left Sulphur Springs...until yesterday. I'm not kidding.

I haven't ran (in my car of course) to Greenville or Rockwall or even a mad dash over to the scrapbook store in Winnsboro. Nothing. Nada. Nil.

I'm not sure why. Maybe it's my newfound love for being home. Or my desire to be less of a consumer and more diligent in using what I have. Maybe it's the cost of gas. Maybe it's the fact that I haven't really needed to so why would I? Whatever.

So when Bruce had the day off and we could do anything in the world we wanted to...I made a list of the things my family needed for some upcoming traveling we will be doing and we headed to Rockwall. We ate, shopped, looked and enjoyed our day out on the town.

We got back home just in time to get ready for Taekwondo lessons, where many students are getting ready to go to World Competition (thus, the reason the studio was open). As soon as we finished there, we raced home, changed clothes and surprised the kids with tickets to Despicable Me 2. Cute movie.

Just as we finished the Country Club was setting off fireworks so we were able to enjoy the sky on our way home...the long way of course!

I enjoyed the day more than usual probably. Bruce's phone was quiet, the kids behaved, we found some great bargains, the weather was decent...even had a shower and we ate some good food. If only every day could be so magical...

As we prayed with the kids yesterday, we reminded ourselves of this great country, thankful for the freedoms we still have, thankful for the men and women who stand up for what is right and good and biblical and pray that America will draw near to the heart of God. We are America...we the people...oh that we would draw near to Him. This is my prayer for our America.

Sunday's Reading

Hopefully you're able to enjoy this Lord's Day basking in His goodness. Here are a few of my favorite links this week...articles and music that spoke to me. Maybe you'll have time today to take a look.

1. I Know Who You Are - JJ Heller writes songs about real life and Jesus. This is a song is powerful for anyone...but especially someone who is going through a time of faith testing.

2. Memorial Day Activities you can do with your Kids...via The Pioneer Woman

3. Audio Spanish Lessons...for FREE!! I think I will use these with my kids in the fall. They also have French Lessons.

4. Religion and the Oklahoma tornadoes ...a little warning...there is a little course language that I wish wasn't there...but it's a good article otherwise...and one that my heart resonates with.

5. Article about Teaching our kids to serve others... and fight the feeling of entitlement. HERE

My Valentine

Last Thursday Bruce and I celebrated our 20th year as valentines. 

20 years of joys and sorrows

20 years of ups and downs

20 years of successes and mistakes

20 years of good and bad choices

20 years of selflessness and selfishness

and 

20 years of God's 

Amazing blessings pouring over us

Gentle hands leading us

Perfect love teaching us

Thanks to our Savior for modeling to us the greatest love...

giving yourself to another, for another. 

Without this love...

our 20 Valentines would mean nothing 

but clanging

 and clanking

 and crashing 

Thanks to our Savior for this amazing gift of love.

Happy 4th of July

Tucker (in white) with a posse of boys from church. 

And Savannah (almost 10)

Thankful for the freedom we celebrate today. 

Fantastic Dads

The media wastes no time informing us of the large mass production of dead beat dads. Thankfully I didn't have one....so I won't be giving any new briefs on that topic today. I was blessed with a fantastic dad for 18 years, and when he passed away it was possibly the most life changing event I have experienced to date. He taught me more about life, God's Word, hard work and respect than any other human being. He was fantastic.

And...this week past week I have had the opportunity to spend quality time with my new stepdad. Many of you will remember my mom remarried in October after being a widow for 19 years. This week ended up being so special. We had no big plans and spent most of our time just visiting. Mom and Tom arrived for a five day visit and left this morning after making a plethora of new memories. Tom has a wonderful way of making you feel at ease. He's funny, kind, generous and has a huge fan base in the under 4 footers in our home. God knew just what we needed after all these years.

My brother became a dad on Christmas day last year year. His little Sydney has already worked her magic on her daddy and is pretty busy calling the shots in their household. Daddy Andy is learning all about the do's and don'ts of fatherhood and is becoming another fantastic dad. He's juggling a career that includes non-traditional work hours and he's managing to still find time for cuddles and kisses from his baby girl.

My father in law manages to keep our family equipped with family recipes from our ancestors. He's up to date with the going ons in our community and he loves spending time with his kids and grandkids. He's the best navigator of country back rounds I know!

And saving the best for last...and certainly not least, I thank God for the father of my own children. He is amazing. He shares the weight of parenting with me. He plays, instructs, disciplines, laughs, guides and spends time with Savannah and Tucker. Their faces light up with joy when they see him coming. He is loved by many, but none more than us. We are blessed to have him.

Not many families can say they have 4 men who are fantastic role models. Thank you Lord for these amazing men in my life and in the lives of my kids. What a gift...what a legacy....what a treasure!

The Theology of Cookbooks

One of my favorite things to do when I have a leisure day is to browse through old cookbooks. I mentioned this in my porch post below and my thoughtful friend Scarlet handed me a stack of old cookbooks to look through while we waited for our dinner to cook on July 4th. This cookbook in particular caught my attention. It was Scarlet's mother-in-law's and happened to be chalked full of yummy vintage recipes.

Notice: using this cookbook will make your life better and richer. Their words, not mine.

Have you taken the Meal Planner's Creed? Raise your potholdered hand and repeat after me.

This scares me a little.....I hope my family's security rest in something other than my cooking!

We got a good chuckle about some of these and other things we found in the cookbooks, but their point was expressed many times over and over in the book: Meal planning, eating together and overall family health...whether physical, spiritual or emotional can be nurtured around the dinner table.

Good point.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

In my imagination, this is the porch I would welcome each of my bloggy friends to for our 4th of July gathering. Isn't it charming? It's taken from Better Homes and Garden (the only magazine subscription I have ever paid for myself)...and whoever's porch it really is knows how to create that cozy laid back feeling I have on holidays. It makes me want to flip on the ceiling fan, grab a good book, decorating magazine, cookbook or house plans and dream away...possible literally! A nice nap on a cool porch has aways appealed to me.

So, if you were here, and I owned the house with this porch, I'd invite you to share a meal and some sweet tea or lemonade. We'd sit and visit or read or listen to the kids playing in the sprinkler outside and then later, we would eat homemade banana pudding. It would be delightful.

Warning: Sappiness Ahead!!!

I'll cut right to the chase. Today Bruce and I are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary. As I was thinking back to the things that I love the most about him, I realized that the verse in the Bible that says "He who finds a wife finds a good thing- Prov. 18:22" could just as easily read "She who finds a husband finds a good thing". I certainly have found that. The song above is one of the songs we had sung at our wedding. I am not EVEN a fan of country music (sorry!) but I loved this song 16 years ago...and still today. Below are 10 things I appreciate about Bruce:

1. He loves God more than me.

2. He has amazing integrity.

3. He has an outgoing personality that balances my not-so-outgoing one!

4. He irons his own clothes!

5. He is a great dad.

6. He treats people with respect.

7. He goes the extra mile for friends...and complete strangers.

8. He's a great cook...(he's been waiting years for me to say that!)

9. He likes an adventure.

10. He loves me unconditionally.

At this point in our journey, we are raising kids, working jobs and most of the time just trying to snag a few moments here and there to spend alone. I'm thankful for the comfort I find in our life together. I am thankful we share the same goals and dreams. I am thankful to partner in ministry with him (wherever that leads us.)I am thankful for the security we share in our relationship and the strong committment we have in this marriage. I am thankful that from the beginning we have known this relationship would fail without God, so we have depended on Him. We've had our ups and downs, but they've been our fault...not God's!

To end this post, I'll let you in on a few little known facts about us:

1. We lived in married housing...cinder block style...at BBC for the first year of our marriage.

2. Our first car that we bought together was a sky blue Mercury Topaz. The payment was $202 a month.

3. After being told we couldn't have children and canceling maternity insurance we have ended up having 2 kids.

4. We marathon shop the day after Thanksgiving.

5. We love Tennessee.

6. We once boxed in a boxing ring for a sermon illustration...and I might have accidently hit him.

7. We have learned that you learn something from everyone...somethings you want to do in the future and some you don't.

8. Neither set of our parents have/were divorced.

9. We are huge American Idol fans...episode one to finale...DVR...every week!

10. We are both wearing replacement wedding rings.

Happy Anniversary Bruce! Love you!

Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman?

I Can!!! (Picture me with my hand up, flapping it in the wind...begging for the teacher to call on me!)

It's no secret that I have the best mom in the world (I know some of you want to argue....but...this is my blog and what I say is gospel!)

There are many beautiful words that describe her but I thought I would list some of my favorite things about her here:

1. She loves Jesus. It pours from her. She may not come right out and tell you she loves Him...she doesn't have to...she lives it. You don't have to be around her five minutes to know.

2. She loves her family. She has three pretty strong-willed kids and we have put her through a fair amount of ups and downs, but at the end of the day, none of us doubt where we stand in the love department with her.

3. She knows how to make a home look good on a budget. Growing up I remember her jaunts to flea markets and clearance sales. She furnished our home so beautifully on a budget. Her example of decorating, care and details has been passed down...I love making my home look nice. (If only my kids valued this...they will one day!)

4. She kissed my dad at the front door everyday when he left for work...and I am not talking about a little peck on the cheek. I'm talking about the "embarrass the kids" kind of kiss. This meant very little to me as a child (at least I thought)...but the older I get I realize that I never doubted whether or not my parents loved each other...and it was largely due to "that" kiss.

5. She is generous. There are very few people who have had the kind of life my mom has had. I wish I had permission to share all the things that she has endured so you could maybe better understand what an amazing virtuous woman she is. But even after all that...she is one of the most generous people I know. She has housed troubled teens, recovering drug addicts, single women. She has bought food for the hungry, paid bills that were not hers and given away things that others might think are priceless. She has given when she herself was in need.

So on this Mother's Day, having just returned from a week long stay with my mom, I find myself reflecting on the extreme rarity of virtuous women in the world today. I find myself not only thankful, but blessed that God chose Nancy Anderson as my mother.

Happy Easter!

The Smell of New Books

I love books. I am an addicted reader. Guess that's good since my job does involved quite a bit of reading and writing! For ten years or so, I have made it a New Year's Day tradition to hit a local bookstore and browse slowly up and down the aisles and aisles of books. It's a quiet way to spend a few hours and for some reason, it motivates me to get my game face on for the new year. I usually pick up books that have something to do with the resolutions or goals I have set for myself for the coming year. Today I shared my tradition with a friend and we spent close to 3.5 hours in Barnes and Noble. We browsed the Christianity section, the non-profit area, gardening and the clearance section. Then we found a table and had quiet conversation (solving most of the world's problems) and took careful inventory of the $300-$400 worth of books that were stacked before us. Which ones did I choose????
I'll list them below. I'm curious- what are you reading this year. You'll notice I have some books posted here on my blog--that's some great Christian non-fiction that I have the honor to help promote through my job.

Anyway...here's what I am reading:

1. Grow Vegetables- Allan Buckingham
2. Dallas Planting Guide
3. Churched- Matthew Paul Turner
4. Velvet Elvis- Rob Bell
5 Asian Food Cookbook

Lord Help Me!

As promised, in a very transparent way, I will now reveal my list of goals for the new year.

1. Rest and Walk in the Lord. (Surely this will affect all other goals!)

2. Spend purposeful time investing in my family. Bruce first...then kids!

3. Do some very intentional things in my community to share Christ love.

4. Host weekly dinner for 3 couples in our church

5. Have more home-cooked meals that don't involve the microwave!---or a large square box with a frozen disc. (the people in #4 will be glad for this one)

6. Parent Responsibly- Follow Through- Be a Godly example.

7. Carried over from last year....get more organized!

8. Become more healthy...better choices... (will be reading the book Guided By Him by Julie Morris)

9. Potty train Tucker.....ok...he's three...if this doesn't happen by next January I will probably need medication!

10. Learn some new skills for blogging and work. I'd love to learn some web design.

That about sums it up....plenty to do...Lord help me!

Goals

It's the dreaded time of year...everyone's asking "what's your new year resolution?" and even when they aren't asking somehow...I feel compelled to tell them what I will be working hard to achieve over the next 12 months.

Last year, I made the #1 resolution people in America make. To lose weight. I failed. I am still the exact weight I was then. This year the resolution will be different. I am going to (with God's help) live more healthy, to take better stewardship of this one body God has given me.

Last year, I resolved to be better organized for sanity's sake. So I worked hard and then hired a housekeeper. She is a God-send and ministers to me in countless ways. So, I am better organized...thanks to me a little and her a lot!

I also deeply desired to be able to stay home with my kids. God answered that prayer and in August, provided my part-time work at home job to develop into more hours and I was able to quit my other 2 part time jobs. This has been a huge blessing all around. God's provision and answer to my prayers has been such a blessing. Plus...I get to do something that I love!

So...this year what's it gonna be for you? What are you resolving, promising, aiming, hoping and wishing to accomplish? I will be posting mine tomorrow. For now, I would love to hear yours! Happy New Year!

Handmade Gifts

I'd like to hear your opinion on this:
Do you enjoy receiving handmade gifts at the holidays? Something as simple as a tin of muffins from a girlfriend, or something handmade like pillowcases from an aunt...I'm just wondering if they have the same value they have had in past generations and I'm also wondering if there will be a resurgence since the economy is declining and more people will be affected financially.
I personally love handmade gifts. I love the idea of someone thinking of me as they made muffins or pillowcases. I love a good story to go with a good handmade gift. I love the idea of the time invested in a handmade gift. I love the idea of someone's hands working to make me happy.
Just wondering how you feel about it..let me know!

Dad's Day

I'm blessed to have had a dad who was a supreme example of what a father should be. He showed up for all the important events in my early life....basketball games, award ceremonies, church...he and my mom even went on a double date with me on my first date!!!! Talk about "being there"! He was really involved in my life. He helped my mom homeschool us kids for four years and he was the go-to guy for all the really tough questions. He challenged me to read and I credit him for my love of history and the book of Proverbs.
I miss him. There are days that it really hits me and other days that the memories are not as clear. I have now been without him for half my life. I missed him on my wedding day, on the day my children were born and on most days in between. He is one of the reasons heaven seems sweeter to me. I wish he had had the chance to meet Bruce. I wish that he had the opportunity to see The Mission and to know that he helped inspire that vision with his blatant generosity. Most of all I wish my children could have the opportunity to meet one of the most amazing people who ever lived.